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The race to connect communities up and down the UK with gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband is well and truly underway. With the government setting highly ambitious targets of completing the rollout of this technology as early as 2025 - eight years sooner than previous estimates - the pressure is on installers to deploy this technology as quickly and cheaply as possible.
However, it's also extremely important for these efforts to ensure that no parts of the country are being left behind in this upgrade. Currently, there remains a significant 'digital divide' between the connectivity options available in urban areas and those that can be accessed by rural communities, and the industry is keen to ensure this does not occur with the next generation of broadband technology.
The importance of reaching rural areas
In the past, many rural communities were passed over by commercial broadband rollouts, with these areas often deemed to be too costly or complex to reach. However, with 11 million people in the UK - approximately 17 per cent of the population - living in rural areas, there's growing recognition that these locations must not be overlooked again.
Responding to a recent pledge from chancellor Sajid Javid to pump £5 billion of new investment into digital connectivity, president of the Country Land and Business Association Tim Breitmeyer said: "Better connectivity is key to unleashing the economic potential of the countryside, and we welcome that government is listening to the concerns of rural communities.
"Ending the rural/urban digital divide will support rural businesses to create jobs, enable people to access services, allow agriculture to embrace the technological revolution and persuade more tourists to visit."
However, turning these goals into reality takes more than just financial investment. It will also require an overhaul of planning rules to clear the way for faster deployments, as well as new and innovative technologies to make the installation of the necessary cabling as quick and cost-effective as possible.
New trials to boost rural deployments
This is why major network infrastructure provider Openreach has recently announced a series of new pilot schemes around the UK that aim to test the effectiveness of various new approaches to deploying full fibre cabling.
It will be trialling these new technologies and techniques in 13 locations around the UK, from Devon to Scotland, with some 50,000 homes and businesses to be upgraded to full fibre connectivity as a result of the schemes.
Among the innovations to be tested are new specialised tools for digging trenches that can greatly speed up the laying of new cabling, as well as broadband-boosting hardware that can be deployed inside existing cabinets to extend the range of fibre networks.
If successful, these technologies could reduce the time taken to install new full fibre cabling by up to six months, while potentially increasing the amount of new cable that can be installed in a day by up to 20 times.
Chief executive at Openreach Clive Selley said his company is always working hard to improve connectivity to isolated communities that have traditionally been regarded as less commercially attractive, through "inventive engineering and effective funding partnership models".
He added: "The trials will also give us a much clearer picture of what the technical challenges in these kinds of rural areas are. We hope they'll go a long way towards developing the tools, skills and innovations required to make sure that nobody’s left behind in the full fibre future."
The economics of deploying full fibre broadband to these areas remain challenging, and it is estimated that around ten per cent of properties will need the support of public subsidies to be viable. However, the latest trials should help prove new techniques that can be rolled out around the UK to extend the reach of full fibre as far as possible.
